How pastor defrauded businessman of N3m in land deal

A 64-year-old pastor identified as Gabriel Olakitan was Wednesday dragged before an Ogba Magistrates Court for allegedly defrauding a businessman, identified only as Cornelius of N3 million in Ayobo, Lagos.
The accused reportedly sold a plot of land which had been handed over to him by a London-based friend, Bayo, to the businessman for N3 million and had issued the businessman a receipt to that effect.
Bayo was said to have given the pastor the piece of land to sell for N2.9m, but after collecting N3m from the businessman, Olakitan only paid N1m into Bayo’s account.

However, trouble started when Bayo came to Nigeria sometime in 2014 and reportedly stopped workers hired by Cornelius to clear weeds on the land for construction.
The case was then reported at the Area M Command in Idimu, where an agreement was said to have been reached that the pastor would refund Cornelius his money in instalments.
Olakitan didn’t keep his end of the agreement and was re-arrested by the police from the Ayobo division.
Cornelius told the police that all efforts to reclaim the land or get his money back had been futile.

The police prosecutor, Inspector E. Ayomide, told the court that the accused was charged on two counts bordering on fraud.
Olakitan pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The presiding magistrate, Mrs. O.J. Awope, granted him bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Awope adjourned the case to August 12, for mention.